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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most difficult but well-loved poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once invisible game, has increased in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha/8 starts like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to each player. A sequence of wagering follows where players can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are given out, this is referred to as the flop. One more sequence of wagering ensues. After all the players have either called or folded, an additional card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of wagering follows and then the river card is revealed. The players will have to make the best high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where some entrants often get baffled. Unlike Hold’em, in which the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player has to utilize exactly 3 cards on the board, and exactly two hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot may be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It’s the best hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the identical approach in almost every poker game.
A low hand is more difficult, but really opens up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that can be made, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no low hand presented, the high hand wins the whole pot.
It may seem difficult at the outset, following a few rounds you will be able to pick up on the basic nuances of the game with ease. Seeing as you have players wagering for the low and betting for the high, and since such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha 8 or better offers an amazing assortment of betting choices and seeing that you have numerous players trying for the high hand, and many shooting for the low. If you prefer a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it is worth your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.
